Drafthouse Films Acquires GRACELAND

Meredith Borders August 30, 2012

Just in time for Fantastic Fest, Drafthouse Films' announces their acquisition of FF selection GRACELAND, a breathtaking crime epic to round out the marvelously diverse array of films they've put out this year. Director Ron Morales has worked on films like THE DEPARTED andMICHAEL CLAYTON, so this guy knows from crime thriller. See the film at Fantastic Fest 2012 or once Drafthouse Films releases it to theaters and VOD in 2013!

From the press release:

AUSTIN, TX – Thursday, August 30th, 2012 – Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, announced today their acquisition of North American rights to breakout crime thriller GRACELAND.A riveting and unpredictable Filipino crime saga, GRACELAND thrusts viewers into the corrupt underbelly of the Philippines’ capital, exposing a world of deceit, exploitation, and startling depravity. Written and directed by Ron Morales, a veteran of MICHAEL CLAYTON and THE DEPARTED, this “lean and breathless thriller” (Complex Magazine) depicts a desperate man’s infinite moral compromises amidst a tale of kidnapping gone horribly wrong. A limited theatrical and VOD release is planned for 2013.

To fully realize his uncompromised vision of Manila’s corrupt underworld, Morales largely financed his passion project with support from friends, family, and crowd-funding via Kickstarter. GRACELAND made its world premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in the Cinemania section where it received an audience award and stalwart praise from critics. Gabe Toro of Indiewire called it “mesmerizing,” while Twitch says GRACELAND is “twisted enough to keep even the most seasoned thriller aficionado second guessing up to the end.” The film is set to have its Texas Premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest, running September 20 - 27.

"Our primary goal at Drafthouse Films is to search the globe for the greatest storytellers and breakout talent to expose to like-minded fans," says Drafthouse Films CEO Tim League, "last year we championed Michaël Roskam's BULLHEAD to an Oscar® nomination, and this year we have our sights on Ron Morales' GRACELAND."

“GRACELAND is a challenging, uncompromising film,” says writer/director Morales, “and we’re overjoyed that Drafthouse has chosen to add it to their stellar lineup of boundary-pushing titles. Their willingness to take a stand for edgy, powerful cinema proved to be the perfect match for us, and we’re deeply honored to partner with them on this project.”

The deal was negotiated by James Emanuel Shapiro on behalf of Drafthouse Films and Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films on behalf of the film's producer Rebecca Lundgren.